Kyurem's Christmas Tree
by Arceusfish
Summary: Kyurem is a lonely pokémon with no Christmas spirit, but will Keldeo be able to help thaw his icy heart?


Keldeo trotted through the leafless winter forest as a light snow fell from the night sky and covered the ground. A cold, biting wind blew the flakes through the air, and Keldeo couldn't help but wrap his green scarf a few more times around his neck.

"Cold, isn't it?" Virizion muttered, sneezing as a large flake landed on her nose. "It is December, after all."

"I w…w…wish the snow would have waited until C…Christmas Eve, though," Keldeo replied, his voice shaking from the cold. "Then I wouldn't have to tolerate the winter weather for as long. We should move to Hoenn, where it's tropical and there's more ocean."

Cobalion grunted. "The Swords of Justice do not live specifically in one region, Keldeo. Injustice can happen anywhere."

"And, I don't really want to live near an ocean anyway." Terrakion added humorously, laughing with a voice like thunder.

Keldeo rolled his eyes and ran faster through the wintery forest towards the cave the Swords of Justice stayed in when they came to the Unova region._They could have at least picked a cave in southern Unova to stay in, instead of one in the mountains_, he grumbled to himself in his mind. He preferred summer and warm weather near the ocean, and not just because he was a water-type. But, he had to admit, he didn't mind the weather as much now; it added to the Christmas atmosphere. He still didn't get why the Swords of Justice, being legendary swordsmen that fight crime all across the world, would settle for a cold cave to stay in. It didn't matter anymore though, because once Keldeo got into the cave, he was so tired that he plopped down in his nest of moss and togekiss down. Cobalion, Terrakion, and Virizion arrived in the cave a few minutes later, shivering as they lay down in their own nests.

"Cobalion, can you get some sticks for a fire, _please_?!" Terrakion asked, making an overly dramatic puppy face.

Cobalion sighed and nodded. It was very cold, even for him. He grabbed a bunch of sticks from outside the cave and piled them in the center. Terrakion used the move flamethrower, and the cave was instantly filled with a bright orange light. When everyone was settled in their nests surrounding the fire, Terrakion broke the silence. "Now all we need is some chestnuts."

Keldeo laughed. Terrakion always came up with stupid jokes and comments about everything. "Hey, Cobalion," Keldeo asked, removing his scarf and placing it beside his nest, "Christmas is in three weeks, right?"

"Two, actually." Cobalion replied.

"Why, do you need to do some last-minute shopping for us?" Terrakion asked in an accusing yet humorous tone.

"No, that's not why," Keldeo yawned, "I just didn't realize how close it was; we've been so busy recently with catching the team of zoroark bandits that I kind of forgot. What _are_ we doing for Christmas, anyway?"

Virizion grinned. "Meloetta's invited all the legendary pokémon to her Christmas concert/party at Lake Acuity in the Sinnoh region. Apparently Diancie has helped her build a stage and everything."

"It'll be the bomb!" Terrakion yelled, causing everyone else to flinch as his loud, deep voice reverberated off the cave's walls.

Once some of the ringing in Keldeo's ears subsided, he lost all fatigue and started to get more excited about the legendary (no pun intended) Christmas party that he had just learned about. "So, _all_ of the legendaries are going to be there?"

"Well, everyone except for Kyurem." Virizion replied matter-of-factly as she exchanged an annoyed glance with Cobalion.

"Why not Kyurem? Nobody invites him to anything?" Keldeo pressed on for more information. He had battled Kyurem a few months before when he became a Sword of Justice. He realized then that Kyurem was not as evil and heartless as everyone made him out to be. In that battle Keldeo found his true power as a Sword of Justice and was able to switch back and forth between his old ordinary form and his new resolute form. Despite having been one form since the beginning of his life, Keldeo preferred to stay in his resolute form; it showcased his awesomeness. But besides that, Keldeo didn't understand why a pokémon that had taught him so much would not show up to a Christmas party. It was Christmas!

"Oh, he's always invited, Keldeo," Cobalion searched for the right words, "it's just that-"

"-he doesn't want to socialize or be around any other living thing." Virizion finished the sentence.

"You saw how he was with your battle and all, Keldeo." Terrakion added seriously, "he didn't want anything to do with you before or after the battle. It's the way he is."

"He's a hermit." Cobalion and Virizion nuzzled each other as they realized that they spoke in unison.

Terrakion grumbled. "You know, we're talking about something serious here, and you guys are just showing public displays of affection?! Gross!"

"_You_ wouldn't understand, Terrakion," Virizion sneered, "You wouldn't find a woman on this _planet_ that will love you, besides your mother."

Cobalion laughed. "His mother is dead now, Virizion, so _nobody_ on this planet will love him."

Virizion and Cobalion laughed as Terrakion's face turned beet-red with anger. Keldeo could almost see steam coming out of his ears. Terrakion tended to be rough and impulsive, so Keldeo quickly put on his scarf and snuck out of the cave before things could get ugly. He wanted to be alone anyway; he needed time to think. He ran up to the peak of the small mountain that his cave-home was on and gingerly walked to the edge of the rock peak. He could see a large portion of the Unova region and a sliver of ocean from that vantage point, which made it a nice place to philosophize. It had stopped snowing and the clear sky now shone with trillions of stars.

_I can't believe that Kyurem is so solitary that he won't even spend Christmas with anyone, Keldeo thought. He's like the Grinch, but he even realized that spending Christmas with others was better. Kyurem's been around for so long, and yet he still has spent all that time by himself._ Keldeo felt a twinge of sympathy in his heart for Kyurem. The dragon was a smart, cunning, and brave pokémon that seemed to care about others, even if he shut himself up all the time. After Keldeo battled Kyurem and lost, Kyurem was kind in a way and didn't finish him off after he had saved his friends by using secret sword. He had also saved Keldeo and his friends by freezing his collapsing lair before it could hurt anyone. Deep down, Keldeo knew that Kyurem was good, and by Arceus, he felt obligated to try to get to the root of the dragon's negative feelings. By doing that, Kyurem could leave his hermit ways behind and spend Christmas in the best way possible: with friends.

* * *

If there was one thing that Keldeo was good at, it was hatching mischievous, adventurous plans. The next day he schemed of a way to get to Kyurem's lair as he trained with the Swords of Justice. However, to his disappointment, Keldeo was not very good at covering up his daydreaming, and Cobalion noticed that his apprentice was not completely into the training. "What's on your mind, Keldeo?" Cobalion asked as he let his blue sacred sword fade from the black stripe on his head. "You seem distracted today."

"Did Cobalion and Virizion's PDA scar you for life?" Terrakion sneered, the question directed more at his older friends. Cobalion ignored him and Virizion shot him an icy glare. Keldeo suddenly felt awkward as the air thickened with the resentment between the two sides.

"No, that…that's not it, Terrakion." he replied, breaking the awkward silence. "I was just wondering if anyone actually went into Kyurem's lair, I mean after he didn't show up to stuff when he was invited. Maybe he just needed some encouragement."

Cobalion shook his head. "Keldeo, don't be naïve. You know how solitary Kyurem is. He wouldn't want anyone to go deep into his lair just to get him to socialize. That's asking for trouble."

"And pain." Terrakion added.

"But did anyone ever try?" Keldeo pressed on. "How would you know how he would react if you didn't try?"

"Why so interested in Kyurem's well-being?" Virizion cocked her head sideways.

"Because when I battled him for the second time, when I came back for you guys with Ash, Iris, and Cilan, I realized that Kyurem was not the uncivilized, monstrous being everyone made him out to be." Keldeo looked Virizion firmly in the eye. "His battle style isn't sporadic and animalistic, it's well-thought out and-"

"-Enough, Keldeo." Cobalion interrupted and eyed him sternly. "You are speaking of a bestial, half-frozen dragon that has no morals. He has committed unspeakable crimes in the past and terrorized the humans in Lacunosa Town forever. Does that mean nothing to you? I know that you are young, and you want to think differently, but Kyurem really isn't a good pokémon to pick as a friend. As long as you leave him alone, he will leave you alone. Am I right?"

"But-"

"-AM I RIGHT?" Cobalion silenced Keldeo's argument instantly.

Keldeo sighed. "Yes, I suppose you are." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Then let's move," Cobalion turned to the other Swords of Justice, "If I remember correctly, we were supposed to order Christmas cookies for Meloetta's party, right?"

Virizion nodded. "I believe so, Cobalion. We should order them as soon as possible."

Cobalion led the way through the forest towards the bakery with Virizion and a drooling, cookie-loving Terrakion close behind. Keldeo couldn't seem to move his hooves; he was still mad at Cobalion for speaking of Kyurem that way. _I know Kyurem has a good heart,_ he thought, trying to convince himself that it was true. _Maybe his heart is just covered in ice like half of his body; if it thaws then the real Kyurem will reveal itself. I owe Kyurem; he saved my life and my friends' lives, and I would never have found my true power without him, and he knew it. All along he knew it. He deserves to spend Christmas in a better way than he always has, and I WILL make sure that he does, even if I have to go straight to the depths of his lair!_

"Keldeo, come on!" Cobalion called from a ways away, jolting Keldeo from his thoughts. Keldeo looked down from the sky and ran to catch up with the Swords of Justice. _Arceus, please,_ he silently prayed as he walked alongside his mentors. _Let Kyurem see my good intentions! _

* * *

"So, you wanted fifty almond cookies, three hundred sugar cookies, one thousand gingerbread cookies, and eighty peanut butter cookies?" The baker pokémon, an aromatisse, read off of the Swords of Justices' order, her bulbous pink fur bobbing up and down as she did so.

"That is all the cookies that we need." Virizion responded.

"How much will it cost us?" Cobalion asked seriously.

"About five hundred shards of any color, I suppose." The aromatisse tied her pink apron around her waist. "But you can pay when you pick up your order."

"DON'T FORGET TO PUT HERSHEY KISSES ON TOP OF THE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES!" Terrakion yelled at the baker pokémon as he put his front feet on the counter and panted like a lillipup over his future edible treats. Keldeo giggled at the spectacle, but Cobalion silenced him with a steely glare.

"Don't worry…I…I won't forget to put the kisses on top. Cross my heart!" the aromatisse was sweating, her red eyes filled with fear.

Rolling his eyes at the ignorance of his friend, Cobalion led everyone out of the large tree that made up the structure of the bakery. As soon as Keldeo stepped outside, he was hit with a blast of freezing December evening air. He wrapped his scarf around his neck a few more times as he followed his mentors back to their cave. When they finally arrived, Keldeo stood at the threshold of the entrance to the cave, suddenly realizing that he had the perfect opportunity to slip away.

"Uh, Cobalion?" he asked shyly.

"Cobalion looked up from his nest that he had curled up in. "Yes, Keldeo?"

"Those berries we had earlier…I think they were a little spoiled. They're not agreeing with me and I really have to-" Keldeo stopped talking when he saw Virizion and Terrakion exchange a glance of amusement and disgust. Seeing that Cobalion still was not convinced, he made a face like he was in pain. Cobalion stared at him for a while, keeping his cold amber gaze steady and judgmental.

"Fine," he finally said, "but don't explode too close to the cave."

"I won't. But I might be gone a while." Keldeo's heart leaped with joy. He had just deceived Cobalion! Now he was free to run like the wind to Giant Chasm and help his icy friend. Remembering that he was faking bowel issues, Keldeo slowly walked away from the cave, hunched over, until he could no longer be seen. _Let's do this!_ His inner voice yelled. _Let's give Kyurem Christmas spirit!_ And with that, he ran as fast as his hooves could carry him to Giant Chasm located a few miles into the mountains.

* * *

It didn't take long for Keldeo to reach the giant meteor crater; he had come this way the last time he had tried to battle Kyurem. Even though he had come here two times already, he still felt slightly uneasy at the sight of the familiar railroad tracks and bridge that led into the cone-shaped remains of the meteor and abandoned mine. _Kyurem is a friend,_ he reassured himself. _After you gave him an exciting battle, he wouldn't mind if you showed up to talk to him…right?_ Keldeo suddenly felt as though his body was split into magnetized pieces: one attracted towards his home and the Swords of Justice, and the other attracted to Giant Chasm and the depths that contained an ice-covered dragon. Despite his doubts about Kyurem's friendliness, Keldeo pressed on down the crater's slope, across the bridge, and into the gaping maw of the jagged rock formation, silently praying to Arceus as he did so. When he entered the abandoned mine, he quickly found the large hole in the wall that Kyurem had come out of the first time Keldeo had challenged him. Despite the place being covered in huge ice crystals that reflected and distorted his image in all directions, Keldeo had such vivid memories of it and could remember its structure. He leaped down various metal, human-constructed platforms, trying not to slip on the ice, until he got to the circular floor that had served as a platform for trains. As Keldeo approached the hole, he started to remember all the tales that were told about Giant Chasm; all the pokémon said that bad things befell those who went to Giant Chasm, and many humans told tales of nasty creatures crawling out of the meteor and terrorizing adjacent towns. Keldeo shuddered, and suddenly the dark started to bother him. He hadn't noticed it before, but the hole was starting to look like the gateway to Giratina's realm. But Keldeo was a very stubborn pokémon, and even though the danger was so thick he could almost smell it in the air, he walked through the hole into complete darkness.

It took a moment for Keldeo to gain some composure, but eventually he was able to feel his way through the large, ice-covered, dark tunnel. He walked in a zig-zag motion, making sure he was going the right way but still tripping over icy rocks in the process. _Darn it, Kyurem! Your eyes can light up so you can see in this place! No fair!_ he cursed in his mind, afraid of disturbing unseen horrors with his voice. The tunnel seemed to go on forever, twisting and turning through the leftover piece of meteor that had fallen long ago. Then suddenly, as if Arceus was rewarding him for trying to do a good deed, Keldeo saw a light at the end of the tunnel, and the path ahead of him was visible again.

_Halleluiah!_ He ran out of the tunnel as fast as he could, almost slipping on the thick ice that covered the ground. Looking around, he found himself in an icy cavern with holes in the ceiling that let in some of the early dawn light, causing the ice everywhere to gleam. Two large pools of water on either side of a raised piece of ground sparkled with a thin sheet of ice. Keldeo felt both joy and apprehension as he spotted another hole in the wall directly ahead of him. He walked across the raised portion of ground, through the hole, and emerged in an even larger cavern. A narrow walkway led to a giant circular space lit by a few holes in the ceiling and thick ice covered patches of the ground and walls. Keldeo looked around as he entered the large space and realized that he had reached the deepest part of Kyurem's lair.

"Not as scary as I thought," Keldeo muttered to himself, forgetting to keep his mouth shut. As the words left his mouth, Keldeo caught a glimpse of something moving behind a large cluster of ice crystals. Keldeo felt his legs start to buckle, but he kept himself steady as the ice-covered dragon emerged from behind the crystals. Kyurem looked at Keldeo, his gaze unflinching and giving away nothing regarding his mood. "Hello, Kyurem," Keldeo said cautiously, trying to break the silence. "I've been wanting to ask you something…" Keldeo rambled on about Meloetta's party and how Kyurem should go and spend time with his "friends" because that's what Christmas was all about.

After Keldeo finished preaching, Kyurem stood there for a while. "I don't like pokémon." he said after a while. "Why would I celebrate a hypocritical holiday with them?"

Keldeo was taken aback. "Christmas isn't hypocritical!"

Kyurem's eyes narrowed. "Oh, yes it is. Those _legendary pokémon_ have been inviting me to all their stupid parties for hundreds of years, and yet they know that I won't come. I can tell in the way they ask me. They don't even give me presents. And I don't go to their parties because if I did, they would treat me like dirt. They don't want me there, and I don't want to be there. I stay by myself, _Sword of Justice_. It is my way of life."

"M…Maybe if you did show up once, they wouldn't be so mean to you. They just want to have fun- that's what a party's for. Could you please go this year, Kyurem? I'll go with you. It won't be as bad as you think!"

Kyurem shook his head and turned around. "I have done too many terrible things. I cannot let myself out into the world- there is no point. I am a monster. It is better that I stay in here, alone."

Keldeo hung his head "Please don't say that Kyurem. You saved my life and my friends' lives; you deserve to be happy this Christmas. I owe it to you."

"Come." Kyurem motioned for Keldeo to follow him with his tiny arm. Keldeo cautiously obeyed as Kyurem led him around clusters of giant ice crystals to the back wall of the cavern. Two pillars of ice stood at the height of Kyurem's chest; each held a round stone that seemed to emanate a strange energy. On one pillar there was a white stone, on the other a black stone. Kyurem pointed to the white stone. "This is the light stone." he said to Keldeo. "And this is the dark stone." he pointed to the black stone.

"Wh…what are they?" Keldeo asked.

"They are the dormant forms of Reshiram and Zekrom, my sister and brother. When Team Plasma forced me under their control they made me turn them into these…dead objects. I have never been able to return them to their living forms." Kyurem suddenly looked very sad to Keldeo, even though he did not seem to show any expression. "Even though we didn't see each other much, I still felt as though I had a connection to them. But now I betrayed them, all because I was jealous of my power and I wanted to take it in for myself by turning them into stones. Team Plasma didn't have the power to control me. I was merely doing what I wanted." He turned back to Keldeo. "You see, this is why I cannot be around others- I can only destroy. When I was younger I ate whatever I could find, and now I destroyed my sister and brother who were once the same pokémon as me. I am a danger to all living things. There is no soul in me, only a chip of ice."

Keldeo didn't know what to say. He knew he couldn't really ease Kyurem's self-loathing, but he still felt as if he had to do something.

"You owe me nothing, Keldeo." Kyurem continued. "There is nothing you can do. It is best if you go back- the Swords of Justice will be wondering where you have gone."

Keldeo smiled slightly. "You know that I snuck away again?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kyurem let his dry humor fade away in the cold air as he walked away towards another cluster of ice crystals. "Go, Keldeo. Don't come back here again. There is nothing here for you. You battled me, and now there is nothing more you need from me. Goodbye."

Despite the incredible urge to help ease Kyurem's suffering, Keldeo didn't know what to do. As he walked back toward the entrance, he thought of something and turned around. "Kyurem, do you have any Christmas spirit?" he asked.

Kyurem stuck his head out from behind the ice crystal cluster. "As you said, Christmas is meant to be spent with others, so no, I suppose I do not. I only spend my time with ice." He slunk behind his icy shield again.

Keldeo's eyes started to water from sadness as he made his way back through the caverns. He felt so bad for Kyurem- he had condemned himself because of his beastly ways, when in fact he wasn't really beastly at all. He walked back through the dark tunnel again, hanging his head low from his failure to help Kyurem. _I only spend my time with ice,_ Keldeo repeated Kyurem's words to himself._ Ice…_

* * *

Time passed by quickly as Keldeo helped the Swords of Justice gather their things to bring to Sinnoh for Meloetta's Christmas party. Keldeo seemed to have lost his Christmas spirit after he came back from Giant Chasm, but no one asked him about where he had been or what had happened. The Swords of Justice seemed too busy getting ready to notice Keldeo's sudden mood change.

When Christmas Eve morning finally arrived, Keldeo was shaken awake by Virizion. "C'mon, Keldeo, wake up. We're heading off on the next wailord for Sinnoh. We should be there by nightfall." She gave him some packages and bags to carry, and Keldeo followed her, Cobalion, and Terrakion through the falling snow towards Undella Bay, where wailords stopped to bring pokémon places. Cobalion led them through a shortcut in the mountains, and Keldeo felt a sudden pang of sadness as they passed the area around Giant Chasm. _Kyurem…_

"Keldeo, let's go! We don't want to miss the next wailord!" Cobalion called to him, and Keldeo realized that he had stopped in his tracks and was staring in the direction of Giant Chasm.

"Coming!" he replied as he ran to catch up. He followed the Swords of Justice until they reached an undeveloped shore on Undella Bay where pokémon were crowded all along the shore and several wailords were waiting in the deeper water. Hundreds of carracosta were carrying pokémon to and from the beach, and Keldeo mindlessly hopped onto one's spiny, shelly back after his mentors. Keldeo got off of the giant turtle's back and onto the wailord's even larger back. The creature's wet, slippery skin was hard to grip, but the bird pokémon flying around the wailord helped Keldeo climb onto it. Keldeo and the Swords of Justice sat down on the whale pokémon's spotted back among the hundreds of other passengers. A pelipper landed on the wailord's head and called for it to start swimming away. "Merry early Christmas everyone, and thank you for sailing wailord style. We should be arriving at Snowpoint City Harbor in the Sinnoh region in approximately eight hours. Weather looks fairly decent, waves at…"

Keldeo zoned out as the pelipper kept rambling on about the sailing conditions. He couldn't help but turn back around to stare through the snow-filled clouds at the Unova mountain range. He thought about how tomorrow Kyurem would be spending his whole day staring at, sleeping on, creating, and possibly even eating ice. He would be all alone, just him and his ice; giving and receiving no gifts for Christmas. _Maybe Kyurem thinks that ice is enough of a gift…_ Keldeo thought to himself. _Wait, ice as a GIFT! Holy Arceus, I just got the best idea in my life!_ Keldeo spontaneously jumped in the air with excitement.

"Are you okay, Keldeo?" Cobalion asked with a puzzled expression on his face. "You were sad and now suddenly…you're happy?"

"It doesn't matter, Cobalion," Keldeo was wide-eyed and shaking with excitement. "All that matters now is that we need to make an ice sculpture!"

* * *

Keldeo almost fell off of the wailord's back as he quickly ran to get on the snow covered land of the abandoned shore in Snowpoint City Harbor. "C'mon guys! We have to get there so we can start now! Ice sculptures don't build themselves!" he yelled to the Swords of Justice as they carefully dismounted the wailord. Terrakion started to sway as he stepped on land and Cobalion steadied him with one foot.

"Be patient, Keld-" Cobalion started to say, but Keldeo interrupted him.

"-Let's get to Lake Acuity now!" Keldeo yelled again, running in the direction of the lake. He sprinted through a coniferous forest, ran up a slope as fast as he could, and finally made it to the lake. Remembering he could walk across water with his jet-hooves, Keldeo kept on running until he got to the island in the middle of the lake. As he stepped on dry land again, he noticed that many pokémon, even legendary pokémon, were setting up for the party the next day. Pushing his way through the crowd, Keldeo finally spotted Meloetta, the legendary pokémon of music and dance. "Meloetta, I need to ask you something!" he yelled to her.

She turned around in surprise at hearing his voice. "Keldeo, I haven't seen you in a while! How are you?" Her big blue eyes lit up.

"It doesn't matter." Keldeo responded curtly. "Is it okay if I build a really large ice sculpture on top of that cave there behind your stage?" Keldeo pointed to the cave that created a little hill in the middle of the island. Diancie had apparently constructed a giant crystal stage for Meloetta on top of the cave, but there was still empty space on the hill behind it. "It's really important. It's for a friend that really deserves it."

Meloetta looked curious, but didn't ask any more. "Uh, sure…I guess you could build something. Just make it beautiful so it blends in with the rest of my…_décor._" She flipped her long green hair dramatically and flew away.

Keldeo was still shaking with excitement as he wound his way through the crowd again. He finally found what he was looking for next to the legendary pokémon Ho-Oh. "Ho-Oh!" Keldeo called to the large, orange phoenix-like pokémon. "I need to talk to that mail shaymin!" he motioned to a small hedgehog-like pokémon carrying a sack of mail and a Gracidea flower.

Ho-Oh and the shaymin turned around, and Keldeo didn't hesitate to explain a letter that he had written while he was traveling on the wailord. "Take this to Kyurem's lair in Giant Chasm in the Unova Region right now! He needs to see this letter before tomorrow night!" He kicked the envelope towards the pokémon, and it stared at him like he had ten heads.

"Are you crazy? That creature will eat me alive!" The shaymin's emerald green eyes grew wide with fear.

"It's okay. Just tell him that it's from Keldeo and that it's very urgent. He won't kill you then." Keldeo explained.

"Oh, okay, I'll keep that in mind," the shaymin replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he placed the letter in his bag and flew away.

After Keldeo watched the shaymin leave, he realized that Ho-Oh was staring at him. He turned around to look at the large bird pokémon that had been in many legends. "You think you can get Kyurem here?" Ho-Oh asked, his tone hiding none of his surprise. "I've been trying to get him out of his lair for hundreds of years. What makes you think you can make him change his hermit ways?"

"Ice, Ho-Oh. Ice." Keldeo smiled deviously and walked away, ignoring Ho-Oh's puzzled expression.

* * *

"I'll swirl up in the air again, and you guys freeze the water as it fans out. Just don't freeze my hooves." Keldeo instructed the glalie that were helping him create his magnificent ice sculpture: a large Christmas tree with "branches" that looked like snowflakes. He jumped off of the previous icy layer he had created and twirled in the air, releasing tons of water from his jet-hooves. The ice-covered pokémon shot out freezing beams that turned the water to ice instantly, adding on the top and final layer of the ice tree. Keldeo stopped his jet-hooves and landed on the top of the tree, marveling at his work. He had started working on the tree Christmas morning- six hours ago to be exact- and he had finally created a sixty-foot tall ice sculpture. Even the glalie, having seen much ice in their lives as ice-type pokémon, awed at the beauty of the bluish-white tree that gleamed like a stack of diamonds. Meloetta flew up to Keldeo, all dressed in her red Christmassy dress and wearing a Santa hat atop her head.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, clutching her face. "It needs to be decorated! We should have the psychic pokémon put glowing orbs all over it and top it with a star!"

"Wonderful!" Keldeo replied, staring at the sky to the southwest, in the direction of the Unova region. So far, he didn't see an irregular, ice-covered shape flying over the horizon, but he wasn't about to give up. The mail shaymin had returned late last night saying that the letter had been delivered, and judging by the shaymin's frightened expression, Keldeo could tell that it had followed his orders. He just hoped that Kyurem would at least act on his curiosity and fly over to see what Keldeo had planned this time. The chances were about one in one thousand, but Keldeo didn't care about chances. When did they matter anyway?

* * *

Keldeo stood in the snow with the Swords of Justice, marveling at the completed tree. The psychic pokémon decorated the tree with multicolored glowing orbs and ribbons of rainbow psychic energy that made the ice sparkle in an infinite amount of colors against the background of night. The tree's tiers looked like thin, delicate snowflakes, and Jirachi, the legendary star pokémon, standing on the top of the tree literally topped off the look. Jirachi kept letting off rays of psychic energy, making the tree look as if it was spewing out an aurora. All the pokémon from around the area- the sky, sea, land, and even the legendary pokémon- could not take their eyes off the glowing tree with an adamantine luster.

But to Keldeo the feeling was bittersweet. Despite the tree being so brilliant, the one it had been made for was not there to claim it as his Christmas gift. Keldeo didn't care who saw the tree; he just wanted Kyurem to get this present for Christmas, even if it was the last present he ever got. But the dragon hadn't shown up yet.

"Something's coming toward us!" a voice suddenly yelled from the sky. "It looks really big, and it's mighty fast!" The legendary pokémon Tornadus yelled from where he was perched atop one of the branches on the ice tree. He flew down to the ground, flapping his wings that he exhibited in his therian form quickly. All the pokémon stared at the sky in the direction of the large shape flying towards them. Within less than a minute it flew over the lake and crashed down in the middle of the island, sending up a cloud of dust and snow and secreting a cold wind. All the pokémon on the island flinched and shielded their eyes as the dust flew everywhere, but Keldeo looked happily at the thing that had just fell from the sky; he could recognize the shape as the cloud of debris cleared.

"Kyurem, you're here!" He yelled, running excitedly towards the monster as it stood menacingly in the small crater it had just created. "I didn't think it was possible, but you came! You really came! Was my letter convincing?"

Kyurem looked around for a moment at all the horrified faces of the legendary and non-legendary pokémon that surrounded him. Then he turned back to Keldeo, the only one who had an expression of happy surprise at his presence. "Keldeo, your letter was…touching, I guess, and it helped me realize that what I thought was best for me was not what really was best for me." He stood up a little taller on his two hind legs as he began to address the entire crowd. "I thought that my life was best being spent alone, in a dark, cosmogenous cave filled with ice. I have thought that for so long that I _myself_ became cold, unforgiving ice. And now I know that that is the reason for my sister's and brother's prison of stone." He held out his small arms; one hand contained the light stone, and the other the dark stone. Kyurem looked at them longingly, and to Keldeo it seemed as if he was about to cry. "I had no power to bring them back to their living forms because I did not understand the meaning of anything except ice and loneliness. Yes, everyone may have deserted me when I was younger and I terrorized things, but after I realized that attacking and eating everything in sight wasn't the right thing to do, I didn't think I had a second chance to be around anyone anymore. I thought that isolation was the only way I could live, so I drove everyone away, and now my siblings suffer because of it…but you didn't accept that I didn't need anyone, Keldeo, and now you convinced me that all this time I have been wrong."

Keldeo sighed, feeling Kyurem's grief as his own. "Well, Kyurem, I didn't tell you in the letter what exactly I wanted you to see, so would you like to see what I have done?" he smiled honestly.

Kyurem nodded. "I would love to see it."

Keldeo led Kyurem around the backside of Meloetta's stage and up the hill to where the tree and all the presents underneath it were located. All the other pokémon at the party silently followed, watching Kyurem carefully to see what he did when he saw the tree.

Keldeo motioned for Kyurem to stand in front of the tree as he ran over to it and held up his front hoof to point to it. Kyurem slowly looked up and down the tree, his expression motionless. Just when Keldeo was beginning to get worried that Kyurem thought it was stupid, he saw the dragon burst out in tears and throw the two stones in the snow before Keldeo. Everyone gasped, wondering how such a pokémon was capable of powerful emotion. Keldeo didn't know what to make of the spectacle as he looked at the two stones in front of them, their smooth surfaces gleaming with the multicoloredness of the tree. "K…Kyurem?"

"It's so beautiful…it's the most beautiful ice I have ever seen in my entire life. But…why?"

"I built it for you!" Keldeo exclaimed, walking up to where the stones lay in the snow. "It's your Christmas present!"

"But I don't deserve this! I have done terrible things!"

"We've all done things that Arceus wouldn't be proud of," Keldeo explained, looking over at the pokémon crowd. "Ho-Oh caused the Brass Tower to burn down in a lightning storm, Mewtwo's killed a lot of people, Darkrai's killed humans and pokémon with nightmares, and for Arceus's sake, Kyogre and Groudon try to destroy the earth every year with their land vs. ocean fights."

"Technically, only five or six times," Groudon corrected Keldeo.

"No, you nut-brain, you've started more fights than that!" Kyogre argued, bearing his sharp whale teeth.

"Do you want me to start another one?!" Groudon yelled, charging at Kyogre.

"Will you guys just stop?! Keldeo's trying to make a major point here!" Rayquaza forcefully broke the two pokémon apart and turned back to Keldeo. "Please ignore these idiots and continue."

"Anyway," Keldeo continued, stifling a laugh, "they have all thought of isolating themselves, I'm sure, because they feel like they are a danger or a nuisance to everyone. I know; I felt that way after I disobeyed the Swords of Justice. But we have to move on, Kyurem. We have to open our heart again, because no matter how much we think we are doing what's best, the only way to really heal ourselves is to let others in. Wow, that's cheesy."

"Th…thank you, Keldeo. I understand now. I really do. I'm sorry to everyone for how terrible I was to you!" Kyurem looked at the crowd again.

"It's alright Kyurem!"

"It's fine!"

"We're the terrible ones for not getting you presents!"

The crowd went wild with cheers and regrets about treating Kyurem horribly as each and every pokémon embraced him.

"Thank you everyone!" Kyurem laughed with sudden happiness, "But I don't need presents. All I need is time to spend will all of you, to make up for all the time we have lost."

Keldeo jumped out of the way as the two stones Kyurem had thrown suddenly floated into the air and exploded with life. Reshiram and Zekrom appeared in the mist of the degrading stones and slowly descended to the ground, marveling at their awakening. Kyurem pushed through the crowd of pokémon until he came face to face with his siblings. "But how? I have been trying for so long…"

"Kyurem," Zekrom spoke. "All this time you have been searching for a way to resurrect us…"

"…but all you had to do was open your heart." Reshiram finished, her deep blue eyes filled with sympathy for her brother. "You are the most powerful of us three, but you condemned yourself just because others condemned you. Your anguish and self-hatred hindered your ability to realize your full potential."

"The whole time you were looking for your ideal way to live…" Zekrom began.

"…but you were hiding the truth from yourself." Reshiram placed her furry white paw on Kyurem's shoulder. "I am proud of you for finally coming out of the darkness and into the light."

A tear trickled down Kyurem's face, and he hugged Reshiram and Zekrom as tightly as he could. A horde of _awwws_ erupted from the audience, and Meloetta was covering herself with tears. Victini tried to wrap his arms around her for comfort, but she pushed him away and kept on sobbing in happiness. When Kyurem finally broke out of the hug he walked over to Keldeo. "This all happened because of you, Keldeo. Thank you. I…I want to give you this in return." He reached behind the ice piece that covered his shoulder and handed Keldeo a palm-sized, blue crystalline rock. Keldeo put out his hoof to take it, and as it dropped into his grasp he realized how heavy it was despite its size.

"Is this a meteorite?" Keldeo asked, remembering that meteorites were unusually heavy.

Kyurem nodded. "It's a very special extraterrestrial crystal that I found a while ago. I think you of all pokémon would make good use of it." He smiled a toothy smile.

"Thank you, Kyurem!" Keldeo jumped into Kyurem's tiny arms, and as the dragon hugged him, the ice on his body didn't seem so cold anymore.

"Well, I think it's time to finally start partying!" Meloetta yelled, suddenly recovered from her sobbing fit. "Shall I start this Christmas concert?"

The pokémon in the crowd went wild and ran towards the stage. Meloetta flew through the air and landed on the flat crystal surface of the stage as the kricketunes and chinglings began to play their music. Keldeo took the meteorite, placed it in his bag that he had left under the tree, and made his way down to the stage area. As he galloped, the Swords of Justice caught up to him. "That was really something, Keldeo." Cobalion puffed out his chest. "I'm very proud of you."

"I guess you're not as stupid as you look." Terrakion laughed.

"Terrakion, please!" Virizion brought her hoof down on Terrakion's head. "Be nice to Keldeo."

Suddenly, all of them followed Terrakion and burst out laughing. "This is the best Christmas ever." Keldeo told his family. "I want it to be like this every year."

"Us too." The Swords of Justice said as they embraced Keldeo. He looked around, taking in the whole scene so that he would never forget it. Meloetta was singing Christmas songs on the crystal stage as the crowd of pokémon cheered and sang along; Victini was cheering especially loud. Groudon and Kyogre were no longer fighting as they swayed to the music, Jirachi was dancing from her spot atop the tree, Kyurem, Reshiram, and Zekrom were all singing together, Kyurem had put on a Santa hat, and was that…_Arceus?!_" Keldeo stared in awe at the misty figure on the side of the stage. Arceus winked one red eye at him and smiled, even though he had no visible mouth. Keldeo smiled back and suddenly felt something strange come from the bag that was strapped around one of his shoulders. He looked back to where Arceus was standing, but the being had disappeared. Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion noticed something strange about Keldeo, but they didn't ask as he quickly opened up his bag to see what had caused the strange feeling. The only thing in there was some shards and the stone he had received from Kyurem, but he took the stone out anyway and held it up to the light of the ice tree. The stone gleamed like a diamond, but Keldeo noticed something else. Deep inside the center of the stone there was a rainbow gleam shaped like the inner piece of a marble that seemed to give off a powerful energy. The Swords of Justice were astonished at the sight, but Keldeo knew why it was there.

_Thank you, Arceus,_ Keldeo whispered up to the night sky, clutching the stone close to his heart. _Thank you…_

* * *

**Thank you for those of you that reviewed! It means so much to me that you like my story! I worked really hard on it, and on my writing style/voice in general. And yes, this story is complete; I'm new to this site so bear with me. This story may be finished but I will be creating more fanfictions that fit in chronologically. I'm thinking about writing an even more awesome (and longer) fanfiction where Keldeo's mega stone plays a part in his adventure, so stay tuned!**


End file.
